Movable drinking fountain



Aug. 9, 1960 E, O

MOVABLE DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed Sept. 10, 1958 INVENTOR. Jam's E. 001v United States Patent() MOVABLE DRINKING FOUNTAIN James E. Don, 172 Santa Rosa Ave, Oakland 10, Calif.

Filed Sept. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 760,123

1 Claim. (Cl. 239-24) This invention relates to a water supply unit particularly useful on athletic fields for supplying water to the players.

As a particular feature of my invention, I contribute a water supply unit that is readily movable onto a field of play, as for example, a football field, the water then being made available to the players without forcing them to stoop or bend, and without requiring a power unit for moving the water to the players from the supply unit, or for putting the water initially into the supply unit.

As a particular feature of my invention, I contribute a water supply unit involving a tank that is adapted to be filled from any water supply faucet, the filling being effective to place Water in the tank under suflicient air pressure to force the water upwardly out of the tank and toward a series of nozzles functioning as drinking fountains.

As a further feature of my invention, the nozzles are preferably supported by the very piping through which they are fed from the tank, the piping extending from the nozzles to the tank and into the tank functioning as both supply piping and a supporting unit.

As a further even more particular feature of my invention, the piping is preferably utilized for moving the water initially into the tank from a source of water supply in such a manner as to place the water under air pressure.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claim appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claim be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation and partial section of a unit forming my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view looking downwardly thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the water supply tank of my invention is designated by reference number 10, and is mounted for movement on rear wheels 11 and a forward steering and support wheel 12, there being a handle 13 pivoted at 14 to the upper end of the shaft on which wheel 12 is carried so that wheel 12 may be steered. In this way, the supply tank may be readily moved onto an athletic field or any other place where my unit may have utility. A drainage valve 15 is secured, preferably to the bottom of the tank, so that the tank may be emptied when desired.

Secured at 20 to the tank 10 is a vertical rigid pipe 21 which at its upper end carries four pipes 22, each of the pipes 22 being naturally in communication with the internal bore of the pipe 21. At the end of each of the four pipes 22 there is secured a nozzle 23 that acts as a drinking fountain and is controlled by a push button 24, depression of the push button opening the nozzle so that water will issue therefrom. All of the nozzles 23 are preferably the same.

In communication with the pipe 21 is a coupling 30 controlled by a valve 31 and communicating with a flexible hose 32. This flexible hose 32 has a suitable support device whereby it may be hooked onto a hook 34 on the pipe 21.

In actual operation, the end of the flexible hose 32 is secured to a suitable faucet so that the water may enter the hose 32, move past the valve 31, which is open for the purpose, and then through the pipe 21 into the tank 10. Since the coneotion is with a water supply system, as that of a city, the water will flow through hose 32 under rather considerable pressure. Because the water enters at the bottom of the tank through the lower end of the pipe 21, the air initially in the tank will be compressed as the water is admitted into the tank, until a stage of equilibrium is reached between the pressure in the tank and the pressure in the system from which water is being drawn. It is at this time that the valve 31 will be shut and the hose 32 disconected from whatever water supply source has been utilized. It is obvious that the air under pressure now force the water in the direction of arrow A upwardly through the pipe 21, and through pipes 22 toward the several nozzles 23. Upon the depression of any one of the push buttons 24, this air under pressure will force the water outwardly of the nozzles 23 so that the nozzles will function as water fountains.

It is thus readily seen that I utilize an extremely simple tank having no source of power and adapted to be filled from any standard water supply system so as to make available at a series of fountain nozzles, water under su-fficient pressure to effect functioning of the fountain nozzles. Further, it is readily seen that I have developed an extremely simple construction utilizing preferably the pipes that transfer the water also as support means. for the drinking fountain nozzles, with the entire apparatus making the nozzles available at a proper level to users. I believe that the novel and extremely simple portable and effective water supply unit I have devised will now be clearly understood by those skilled in the art.

I now claim:

In a construction of the class described, a horizontal tank adapted to hold a supply of drinking water, wheels for supporting said tank in a horizontal position, said wheels comprising a pair of wheels for supporting the rear end of the tank and a single steering wheel for supporting the front end of the tank, a handle operably attached to the steering Wheel, a vertical rigid pipe supported by said tank, said pipe running from a point near the bottom of said tank and then above said tank, a series of pipes attached to and extending laterally from said vertical pipe, a valve controlled drinking nozzle supported on each of said laterally extending pipes for use as drinking fountains through the movement of water from said tank through said pipe and to said nozzles, and means including a valved opening in said vertical pipe for admitting Water into said tank from a source of water under pressure whereby to place Water in the bottom of said tank under air pressure solely through utilization of the air in the upper part of the tank, said air pressure effecting nozzles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Behrens Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 22, 1930 

